Apparatus for printing and issuing tickets.



A. I. TANNER.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I9I3. 1,210,561.

in 5. f l Zf/ W/nessas APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1913.

FIG.T.

A. 1. TANNER.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. J. TANNER.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I9I3.

Patented Jan. 2,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Faae.

FIG-9.

FIG. i0.

@am mf ARNOLD J. TANNER, OFVLONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan, 2, iei'a.

Application filed May '5, 1913. Serial No. 765,435.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARNOLD JAMES TAN'- Niiii, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Printing and Issuing Tickets, of which the following is a specification.

This inventio-n relates to means or apparatus useful for issuing and checking tickets and the like, and the improved means are particularly applicable to railway and tramway services where a prepayment system of fare collection is employed, and the amount of the fare charged varies according to the distance traveled by the passen ger. A railway oi' tramway service of this kind is divided into a number of zones or stages and the fare paid to the conductor, when the passenger boards the car, is laccording to the number of stages to be traveled by the passenger, who upon leaving the car, gives up his ticket which bears individual features rendering one ticketv readily distinguishable from another, thereby facilitating checking to insure that the proper fare is collected.

Heretofore it has been proposed to Vemploy a. number of lots of tickets put up in bundles, packets, or reels, means being provided whereby a ticket taken from one lot is capable of being distinguished from a ticket taken from a different lot, and also means have heretofore been proposed for facilitating the rapid delivery of the tickets. Now in accordance with the previous system and means, for a tramway route Adivided into say six stages, a half-penny or penny fare being charged for one stage and so on to either threepence or siXpence for the entire journey, twenty-one different lots of tickets are required for a single journey of the car, and another twenty-one lots for the other or return journey, thus necessitating the use of forty-two diiferent lots of tickets i for a six stage route where fares are graded as above mentioned. This multiplicity of lots of tickets renders the previously proposed system of issuing and checking fare tickets complicated, and to obviate this disac vantage and provide a more advantageous s vstem and meansl is the aim of my invention.

The said invention admits of a single lot of tickets being used foi-'each stage, consequently for a siX stage route having fares graded from one pennyto siXpence, six lots of tickets only are required instead of forty two as heretofore. Each lot of tickets is rendered distinctive from another either in color, shape or otherwise, and like means of distinction are employed to indicate the corresponding stages of the route, thus indicating, particularly to passengers who are strangers, when they have reached their destination. All the tickets so marked are contained in separate packets, or bundles, which are carried on a carriage mounted on a` fixed base. In conjunction with the plurality of lots of tickets it is proposed to employ a number of separately actuated stamps or printing devices xediy mounted on the said base. The number of stamping devices employed is according to the different values of the fares, and the function of each device is to stamp the amount o-f the fare on a ticket of a lot before the ticket is withdrawn and delivered. The date of issue or other matter may also be printed on the ticket if required.

The stamping devices each consist of a separate unit having a pivoted or sliding arm which is pressed downwardly by the operator upon the ticket he has selected for, issue. A registering adding mechanism is attached to each arm, and by this means each operation of the arm is counted, whereby the number of tickets issued or their total value is registered and this enables the conductors takings to be checked.

rIhe essential feature of the invention is the provision of a traveling carriage or member having a row of pockets or receptacles along its length, and each pocket is capable of containing a bundle or pile of tickets. The carriage is mounted on a iiXed base and on the same base a number of stamps or printing devices are mounted in a row, which stamps are capable of being separately actuated so as to print a character or other matter on the ticket vcarried immediately below. -The purpose of the carriage is to change the position o f the tickets' as required so that any lot or pile of tickets may at any time be brought under any one of the stamping devices.

An improved apparatus, embodying the features of my invention, will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which drawings- Figure l' is a side elevation of one formV of a stamping unit employing an inking ribbon, the movable ticket carrier associated kic therewith being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a set of units mounted in a row on a common base-board; F igr is a side elevation of a portion of a stamping unit illustrating one form of means for connecting the registering mechanism with the stamp operating arm; Fig. 41's an end view'of a portion of the stamp partly' in section; Fig. 5 is a detail view of a spring clip used for holding a lot or pile of tickets; Fig. 6 is a plan view showing an arrangement of a plurality of stamping units; Fig. 7 is a section on line ca -0c of Fig. 6,A illustrating a form of stamping unit constructed and arranged so that an ink pad maybe employed therewith; Fig. 8 illustrates diagrammatically one way of operating the apparatus; Fig. 9 is a Similar view showing the position of the sliding carriage when the car is traveling in a reverse direction to that presumed when the parts are in position as illustrated in Fig. .8; Fig. 10 illustrates another way of operating the carriage when double lots of tickets are employed; Fig. 11 illustrates diagrammatically the operation of the sliding carriagev when'employed for a tramway or like service where the cars run in a circle or in a loop, and Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the position of the carriage relatively to the stamping units on a car going in a reverse direction to that presumed when the parts are in positionas illustrated in Fig. 11.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4:, the improved apparatus consists of a number of stamping units 1, each unit being provided with an arm 2 pivoted at 3 and maintained in its upper or normal position by a springv 4f. The arm 2 carries a pivoted hammer 5 capable, when the arm is operated, of striking a pile of tickets 6, carried beneath the hammer, in a receptacle-or pocket 7 formed by partitions 8 on the carriage 9 which is capable of sliding on a track 10 supported by bases l1 of the units 1. The ticket receptacle is open at the top to permit the placing therein of a ticket clip 12 having ano'pening 18 in' the Lipper side thereof to permit the entry of the hammer head 5. In order to retain the pile of tickets in place the sides of the vclip are provided with springs 14. A Xed pillar 15 forming part of the base por- 'tion carriesat its Lipper end the type for printing, and an inking ribbon 16 carried on the ribbon drums 17 is provided, the feed of the ribbon being effected by means of a depending projection 18 of the arm 2 which projection rotates toothed wheel 19 tooth by tooth to feed the ribbon in a known manner.

The ribbon may be reeled back to the initial drum in any convenient orwell known manner. I have indicated in dotted lines'at 50 in Fig. 2 an ordinary form of bevel gearing for thispurpose.

In the apparatus illustrated, four stamping units are employed, and the sliding car-` riage therefor is provided with four receptacles, each carrying a different lotl of tickets, and' when a ticket is to delivered, the carriage is moved along so that the selected pile of tickets is placed in its position, beneath the properstamp; the actuating lever is then depressed,and the hammer strikes a loose plate 20, on kthe top of the tickets, and the blow is transmitted through the 'entire pile of. tickets so that the ticket on the underside willrbe printed with the required characteror other matter.v The bottom of the receptaclevis open at 2l and through this opening Vthe ticket so printed can be withdrawn and then delivered.

The stamping arms represent different values say for example from 1d. to 4d., and each lot of tickets may be of different color. According to the movement of the sliding carriage any one of the tickets could be printed by any onecf the stamps in succes-"- sion.

In order to register the number of operations of each arm, to determine the'total value of the tickets issued, an adding device 22 is employed, and at each operation of any one of the arms 2,the movement thereof is transmitted to the respective registering adding device by means of links 23A-,24L and slotted sector 25. To'compensate for the varying height of the pile of tickets,lost motion is allowedV iny the link connection between the operating arm and the registering mechanism which is so constructed and fitted that each downward, or if desired each upward movement, of the arm isrregistered; for example each operation of the 4d., stamp will represent 4d. takenby the conductor. ating mechanism therefor, can beni-carried within thebase 11 which is capable of being swung back onthe hinge 26 and if it is necessary, the base can be lockedpin the closed position so that the conductor cannot tamper with the-registering mechanism.

Referring nowto Figs. AGand 7' in which another form of stamping unit is illustrated; in this instance the printing is effected by an inking pad insteadofinking ribbon as in the embodiment previouslydescribed. rlhe unit 1 in this construction comprises abase or. casting 11 having an upper portion or arm 11a, vertical web 11?, lower-base 11c and a clamping base 11d, the latter being adapted to be secured to a rail or tubular support'A iXed on the car platform. The extension of arm 11a-carries a guide or housing 27 having a cylindrical bore to receive the plunger 28 which is capable Vof sliding verticallyV in the guide, and an elongated slot 29 at each Iside of the housing permits vertical travel of a pin 30.- This pin is carried by the plunger and Vis engaged in The adding device and oper-V a slot 301 of the operatingr arm Q and the slot 29 controls and limits the vmovement of the plunger. Hangers 31 pivoted at the sides of the housing 27 carry pads 32, and springs 33 keep the pads in their normal position in contact with the type 34 on the plunger. When this latter member is movedv downwardly the hangers 3l are pushed aside to allow the plunger to come into contact with the top ticket of the pile 6 carried on the sliding carriage'9 beneath the plunger.

The operatingl aims 2 are pivoted on the ears 35 mounted on the upper platform of the base of the unit and the arm is open at 36 so as `to allow it to clear the guide casing or housing 27 and likewise the arm 1la is open at 37 to allow clearance of the ink pad hangers.

The sliding carriage is mounted on the lower platform '1lc of the base and is capable of traveling within the channel 10. Perforations or recesses 38 are provided in the lower plate on both sides of the carriage and are so positioned that the spring pin 39 engages the recesses one at a time as the carriage slides along, thereby stopping the movement of the carriage in any predeteimined position so that any lot of tickets will be stopped in the correct position beneath any one of the stamping devices; When it isdesired to slide the carriage to change the position of the piles of tickets, relatively to the stamping devices, the button 4() is operated and the pin 39 is 'then thrown out of engagement enabling the carriage to be movedalong until the pin is engaged in the next recess. j

Between the upper and lower platforms i of the base of the stamping device a chamber is provided in which chamber the registering devices 22 are carried. A plate 41 covers this chamber and an inspection opening 42 permits reading of the registering devices. The means for 4operating each registering device consist of a pivoted arm 43 brought to and retained in the position shown by engagement of the lug 431 with Athe stamping arm 2. YThe pivoted arm 43 is connected by link 44 with the crank 45 and is brought to the downward position against the stop 46 by means of spring 47 this movement operating the registering device.

,Owing to the variation in the height of the -'Y piles of tickets as they are taken away, one

by one, the throw of the stamping arm 2 becomes variable and consequently more or less lost motion must be allowed between vthe stamping arm and theregister operating mechanism. This vmechanism and the register which works on a ratchet device are required to be nicely adjusted so that at each operation of the stamping arm the register' ,ing mechanism must be operated.

In order that lthe invention may be more clearly understood the operation of the improved apparatus will now be described, and reference will be made to Figs. 8, 9, l0, 1l and l2, which sh'ow diagrammatically different ways of operating the apparatus.

Referring iirst to Figs. 8 and 9, which illustrate an apparatus having four stamping devices and four lots of tickets, the stamps respectively represent values of fares from ld to 4d inclusive, and the four lots of tickets having different colors, say for example, red, white, blue, and green, represented respectively by the numerals I, Il, HI and IV. The letters A, B, C, D, and E indicate points on a tram route, there being five such points, consequently there are four intervals or spaces between such points,"

and to distinguish such intervals from stages of a journey the intervals are termed for convenience, Zones. The car, according to Fig. 8 is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, and at the commencement of the journey, the cai being at point A, the apparatus is inthe position represented by full lines. A passenger boarding the car desiring to go to point B, pays a ld. iai'e,

vto C 2d., to D 3d., and to E 4d., and the passengers ourneying to the various points would be given vdiiierent tickets. For eX- ainple, a 4d. green ticket (IV) would entitle the passenger to ride the complete journey, and for a 2d. white ticket (Il), the passenger would only be entitled to ride to point C. lhen the passenger leaves the car he delivers his ticket up to the conductor or allows the same to be scrutinized, and if the passenger for example attempted to alight from the car when it is in the blue Zone, between C and D, the conductor would instantly detect by means of the ticket if the passenger had ridden beyond Vthe point paid for, for all passengers alighting within the blue Zone would be requiredV to deliver up p blue tickets, consequently if a passenger should deliver up a white 2d. ticket the conductor would demand 1d. excess fare. lVhen the car reaches point B, the conductor slides the carriage in an opposite direction to the direction in which the car is traveling, and thereafter the red tickets (I) would `be no longer used, and also the 4d. stamp would be put out of use. rPhe white ticket (II) is then under the 1d. stamp, the blue under the 2d. stamp, and the green under the 3d. stamp. lhen the car reaches point C the conductor again operates the carriage, the change being made at the end of each Zone until the last Zone is reached when only the green tickets are used which would then be under the 1d. stamp.

lVhen the car is reversed to return to its original starting point, the sliding carriage -is taken out of the machine and reversed end where within the Zone between the points E and D, and the 4d. fare would be for any point between B and A, and as the car reaches the various points the carriage would be intermittently moved along as previously described. The means for identifying the zones remain permanently the same, :forexample, the zone between D and E during the first journey of the car is green and on the return journey the same Zone, between E and D, remains green.

VYexample, a passenger getting in at A, when '1' with the exception that it is not necessary toV remove the carriage for the purpose of reversing the same, for in this example, a double lot of tickets is used and the terminal of each Zone only is givenon the ticket, for

the car is traveling in the direction of the arrow, would get a 1d. ticket with the name ofthe station` represented by printed thereon, and vso on up to a 4d. ticket, good i" to point E. When the car reaches the end of ythis journey the carriage is moved along f in the same direction and the ticket (lV) would then be .under the ld. stamp and the ticket (I) to A under the 4d. stamp. TWhen the car reaches the point A and is about to start another journey .the carriage is moved back in the position shown in the ,dra-wingsv Refer now to Figs. ll and 12 which illustrate the way to use the improved appara- "tus for a tramcar service having a looped or circular route in which case the 'cai' is not reversed, the operation of the machinel -for such a route may be as illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9 where the tickets bear names of points in both directions thereon, or the tickets bear thename of a single point as used with the example illustrated in Fig. 10, and also itor a car traveling in a circle Vor endless loop the operation of the apparatus would be continuous. In this example a passenger at the point A, wishing to go Vto point E could obviously as illustrated, take a car going in either direction, but if he `wishes to go to point D he would go in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 11.

As the car moves along the carriage is moved along intermittently, and at anyone of the points in a route, the'conductor can issue fares of any value up to the maximum mfare charged, and likewise, on acar traveling in the reverse direction, the conductor can issue similar tickets good for a journey within different zones. ,Atm all times the zones between any. two given points are rep-v resented by the same distinguishing feature thereby enabling the conductor readily toV check the tickets of, alighting passengers. Even in a simple route, the conductor having to charge the correct fare, select the proper ticket, and attend to his other duties, besides checking the tickets ot outgoing pas-H sengers, is liable to make mistakes ifhe hasy no means of guiding him in making the.` proper charge andV selection. Without the improved means hereinbefore described, to use the color or distinguishing features on separate tickets to permit instant checking, for a our'zone route as described, the 'conductor would require'twenty lots of tickets where only the name of one point is printed thereon as in the example illustrated .by Fig. l0. Or if two names are printedon the ticket asin the example illustrated inv Figs. 8 and v9 fourteen different lots of tickets. would be required, and as the car moves onward inl its journey, the conductor has nothing whatever other than his memory, to;V guide him as to which ticket he mustselect'. and how much the arewould be toa certain point, and naturally if the number ot Zones is increased Vtheycomplication is ac cordingly increased.. j

Now by using the improved apparatus, the conductor has nothingi whateverito do other than to stamp and withdraw ythe ticket, and it is impossible for him to make* vmistake,'whether the passenger asks for a ticket by valueor by destination. For ex- Y ample, should. a passei'igerv ask for av 3d. ticket, if thenV the bluek ticket is under the 3d.

stamp, the conductor would simply operate.

this stamp and withdraw the blue ticket; on i the other hand if a passenger. asks for Va ticket for a point within the blue Zone the. conductor would make a selection by meansV of the ticket and would accordingly have toV operate the 3d. stamp.

According to the invention it is possible.

to employ a simple stamping machine in! stead oi' a set of stamping units, and in this. i

case either a separate arm is provided :torl each amount to be stamped, or one/arm for one fare or multiples of the fare. FormstanceV Jfor fares graded from one penny tov sixpence, either six arms may be used or'. three arms only in which latter case .the arms are adapted to be actuated several. times in succession; for example a four-A penny fare could beV represented by the mark 2d. being stamped twice on the same ticket.

1. In a vticket issuing andrstamping ap-' paratus, a stationary base, stamps mounted thereon andstationary relative, thereto andeach vprovided with a downward depressiblef actuating arm, and a plurality .of ticket."

holders supported on said'stationary base for movement with relation to said stamps. `2.'.In a ticket issuing and stampingapparatus, a stationary base, a plurality 'of separately actuatable stamps or printing devices mounted thereon and stationary relative thereto and each provided with a downward depressible actuating arm, a carriage mounted on said base for movement relative to said stamps or printing` devices, and a plurality of ticket holders carried by said movable carriage.

3. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a. stationary base, having stamps mounted thereon and stationary relative thereto, each stamp having a downward depressible actuating arm, and a printing device carried by` each arm, in combination with a carriage mounted on said base for movement past said stamps, and a plurality of ticket holders carried by said movable carriage.

4L. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base portion, stamping devices carried thereby and stationary with respect thereto, each oit' said stamping devices being provided with a downward depressible actuating arm, a trackway extending past said stamping devices, a carriage mounted to move along said trackway, and a plurality of ticket holders mounted in line with each other on said carriage.

5. In a. ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base portion, stamping devices carried thereby and stationary with respect thereto, each of said stamping devices being provided with a downward depressible actuating arm, a trackway also carried by said base portion and extending rectilinearly past said stamping devices, a carriage mounted on said trackway and movable therealong to set positions with reference to said stamping devices, and a plurality of ticket holders mounted on said carriage.

6. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base, stamping devices mounted thereon and stationary with respect thereto, each of said stamping'devices being provided with a downward depressible actuating arm, a trackway carried by said base and extending past said stamping devices, a carriage mounted on said trackway and movable therealong, means to lock said carriage in set positions with reference to said stamping devices, and a plurality of ticket holders carried by said carriage.

7. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base, stamping devices stationarily mounted thereon in line with each other each of said stamping devices being provided with a downward depressible actuating arm, a carriage mounted on said base for movement thereon past said stamping devices, and a plurality of ticket holders mounted on said carriage.

8. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base, ticket stamping devices stationarily mounted thereon in line with each other, and each including a depressible operating lever, a carriage mounted on said base for movement thereon past said stamping devices, and a plurality of ticket holders mounted on said carriage.

9. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base, ticket stamping devices mounted thereon in line with each other and each including a stamp and its operating lever, and an operatively associated ink ribbon, a carriage mounted on said base for movement thereon past said stamping devices, and a plurality of ticket holders carried by said carriage and arranged to move therewith past said stamping devices and between said stamps and their associated ink ribbons.

10. In a ticket issuing and stamping apparatus, a stationary base, a fixed pillar mounted on said base, and having printing characters on its upper surface, an ink ribbon operating over said printing characters, a lever pivotally mounted on said base, a printing stamp carried thereby to operate above said pillar and ribbon, a carriage mounted on said base to move past said pillar, and a ticket holder mounted on said carriage to move therewith and arranged to pass between said stamp and pillar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 17 th day of April, A. D. 1913.

ARNOLD J. TANNER.

Witnesses O. J. VoRTH, HENRY M. HOWARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

